SRUC

CommunityThe SRUC Alumni & Friends Magazine All-time high Robert Reid on what it takes

to be a world champion Issue 4 2019

The Beekeeper of Stalag 383 SRUC archives unearth pioneering prisoner of war Life’s a Beechgrove Television’s Kirsty Wilson

1 SRUC Community SRUC in numbers elcome to the W fourth issue of SRUC Community, the alumni and >50 friends magazine. Stay connected 650 Number of If you studied or worked at SRUC, SAC (North, West Students countries SRUC In this edition, we’ve and East of Agricultural Colleges), Barony Research, Teaching got stories about rally College, Elmwood College, or Oatridge College graduated on and Consulting The Beekeeper drivers, gardening television presenters, - we welcome you to the SRUC Alumni & Friends one day in entrepreneurs, even a beekeeping prisoner Community. collaborates with. What a day! summer 2019 of Stalag of war. These alumni have more than SRUC It’s free to join, so stay in touch to: Page4 Making a in common. They are passionate, gutsy, Difference determined and willing to take risks. • Keep up to date with SRUC news 383 • Promote your business Page 14 Page 16 These people reflect who we are as an • Reconnect with classmates World • Find out about job opportunities organisation. This is a hugely exciting time • Get invites to SRUC events Rally Brand new for SRUC as we position ourselves to take on podcasts recorded the big challenges facing society. Our plans to Update your details at www.sruc.ac.uk/alumni or fill Champion create an enterprise university at the heart in your details on the tear-off strip at the back of this by SRUC alumni of the natural economy are moving at pace magazine. 3 and our alumni have a key role to play in our Tell us your stories! Best in the world future. 2001 Page 6 Do you have a story to share? Have you launched Each and every one of our alumni is part of a new business? Do you have an amazing reunion £20,000 Scotland’s, and the world’s, future. Many planned? Got an idea your alumni community might Life’s a be able to help with? We are always delighted to hear of new bursaries awarded of the global challenges we face, including Beechgrove from SRUC alumni and find out what people are up to. in 2019 feeding a growing population nutritiously Page 10 and climate change, are at the heart of Contact SRUC milkshakes Page 18 what we do at SRUC. Our collaborative and Julie van den Driesche sampled at collegiate approach is key to securing our Advancement Manager RHS 2019 future. [email protected] www.sruc.ac.uk/alumni So I encourage you to join us on this journey SRUC, King’s Buildings, West Mains Road, Edinburgh, and share your successes with us. EH9 3JG The T: 0131 535 4488 A year Revolution in 172km is Rural pictures Professor Wayne Powell Designed by SRUC Communications The distance SRUC Page 20 Page 8 Principal and Chief Executive, Printed on environmentally sound staff jogged, swam and Scotland’s Rural College recycled paper from sustainable sources. kayacked to support SRUCcess Cover image: Colin McMaster/McKlein RSABI of SRUC breeds students are success over 21 SRUC Alumni 35% SRUCcess at the Change Your Path Great Glen Challenge @SRUCAlumni Page 12 Page 19 Page 22

2 SRUC Community 3 SRUC Community ore than 700 students from Macross all SRUC’s campuses celebrated their success at two graduation ceremonies on 5 July 2019 in the grand surroundings of Bute Hall, University of Glasgow. The morning ceremony involved HNC and HND graduands, while in the afternoon ceremony SRUC Alumni degree students received their awards. It was the first time for SRUC that both SRUC Alumni ceremonies have been held on the same day.

srucstudy #graduation #winning

#graduation #study srucstudy ConGRADulations SRUC Alumni and a very warm welcome What a Day! to all our new Alumni! SRUC Alumni

SRUC Alumni

srucstudy #SRUCcess

The champagne flowed, canapes (and strawberry tarts) were eaten… and the srucstudy photobooth provided plenty of opportunities #graduation #college for graduands to let their hair down with their families and friends!

srucstudy #graduation #alumni

4 SRUC Community 5 SRUC Community helps to mask a lot of those type of Robert’s life changed forever at the friend and my career in one fell swoop things. Today, I’d struggle to read a age of 24, following a meeting with and it took me a few years to get over newspaper if someone was driving a talented teenage driver named that.” me down the motorway.” during the Peugeot Keen to pass his experience on to Best in the world Challenge in Wales. by Tom Maxwell Robert was “smitten” with young drivers, Robert later served as from the age of nine. Accompanying “Richard won the event and I got Performance Director of Motorsport UK his father on a drive round the speaking to him afterwards. from 2008 to 2015. e all know a front seat driver – the ones who sit family farm in Perthshire, they there and dispense advice on slowing down here or “We clicked fairly quickly in terms of a He was also Performance Manager of chanced upon a rally taking place in taking a left there. shared vision and dream. the FIA’s (world motorsport’s governing Craigvinean Forest. W body) Young Driver Excellence Academy It’s advice most of us could do without, but it would be “He said, ‘what’s your ambition in the “I badgered dad to stop so we could as well as Vice-President of the World difficult to argue if the person sitting next to you was Robert sport?’ I said I wanted to be world go and have a look and then point- Rally Championship Commission. Reid – the former co-driver who guided Richard Burns to the champion and he said ‘so do I.’” blankly refused to leave until the very in 2001. Today, among other things, he serves last car had gone, which was several The Scot and the Englishman joined as President of the FIA’s Closed Road In a famous clip broadcast on Top Gear following Burns’ hours later. forces the following year, winning the Commission. untimely death just three years later, Burns holds the former Wyedean Stages Rally in spectacular “My bedroom was getting done up at SRUC student’s hand aloft as they speed across the finishing line fashion. “It’s a bad translation from the French,” the farmhouse and I insisted on rally in their Impreza, yelling the words “you’re the best in he laughs, “but we essentially look at all car wallpaper, which stayed there It wasn’t long before bigger the world!” aspects of rally safety.” until my brother Graham moved into opportunities started to come their “Winning the World Championship was the best feeling ever,” the farmhouse just a few years ago. way and, in 1993, they secured the As if that wasn’t enough, he’s also says Robert, “but I wasn’t able to properly enjoy it until we were British Rally Championship. recently become a drone pilot. We were driving in the bar afterwards. But, just two years after the high of More than 16 years after stepping out of “Although the competitive aspect had finished, in rallying you’ve Land Rovers and winning the World Championship a rally car, Robert Reid has no intention not finished the actual event until you get to the last time tractors as soon as in 2001, pictured below, came the of slowing down. control, which was back in Cardiff. we could reach devastating news that Richard had a brain tumour. He died in November “We’d finished runners-up the two previous years so, while the pedals 2005, at the age of just 34. Richard was outside kissing the bonnet and hugging his dad, I was just sitting in the car, double-checking the times.” “It was massively painful,” says Following the Rally of Great Britain, Burns and Reid finished the “My great aunt had an old Triumph Robert. “I still World Championship two points ahead of 1995 champions Colin Toledo that we used to rag round look at the way McRae and fellow Scotsman Derek Ringer. To date, Burns and the hill at all sorts of angles. We it unfolded in McRae remain the only British drivers to have held the World never rolled it, but I think it had an complete shock. I Rally crown. excursion into a fence at one point.” had to support him as Among the “surreal” things to follow their success was Robert Although clearly talented behind much as I could through lending his voice to various video games, including the highly the wheel, Robert opted for the co- his battle so, for me, the regarded simulator Richard Burns Rally which, thanks to open driving route into rallying. Being a decision to also stop was sourcing, is now being enjoyed by a new generation of gamers. driver would mean providing his own a really easy one. high-spec car, and his Ford Escort “Celtic accents tend to be more melodic,” says Robert. “From didn’t quite cut the mustard. “His initial prognosis the second I started speaking, Richard pretty much knew was 14 weeks, but he what the instruction was going to be. It was a bit like James During his early days of competition lived nearly two years. Alexander Gordon reading the football results – you’d know and working on the farm in the 1980s, Hopefully myself and a your team had won, lost or drawn before you heard the actual he also gained an HND in few others who were score just by the tone of his voice. If an English co-driver ever at SRUC’s Edinburgh campus. close to him helped had to fill in for me, Richard admitted he couldn’t understand “I was mostly rallying at weekends make that time as them as well because their delivery was more monotone.” so it didn’t really interfere with my good as it could be. Robert likens the challenge of being a co-driver to “three- studies,” he says. “It was a really “We’d worked dimensional noughts and crosses while being thrown about good experience, especially in the together for 12 inside a rally car at 100mph”. days before social media. If I hadn’t years and, the day gone to SRUC, growing that social Hard to believe, then, that as a child, he couldn’t go five miles he died, I lost my and business network would’ve been colleague, my best Images Motorsport Photograph: without being car sick. really difficult.”

Photograph: Fraser Band Fraser Photograph: “It’s something you learn to get over,” he says, “plus adrenaline

6 SRUC Community 7 SRUC Community A year in pictures

There’s never a dull day at SRUC (well hardly ever!). Here are just some of the highlights since the previous edition of ‘SRUC Community’.

Bird watchers Gus Routledge, who is in his Among the VIPS visiting the SRUC stand at the Royal final year at SRUC’s Aberdeen campus, and Simon Sara-Jayne Strachan - a professional cookery Two of our postgraduate Chinese students, Li Highland Show was Scotland’s First Minister, Nicola Ritchie, a Countryside Management alumnus, student at SRUC Elmwood – preparing her rabbit Ningyi and Wang Lingyi, met up with cute Sturgeon, seen here wearing the Mavic drone appeared on BBC’s Autumnwatch with presenter haggis bon bons for the final of the 2019 Game Chef Midlothian piglets to mark the start of the Chinese headset with SRUC student ambassador Harry Michaela Strachan, looking for rare geese amongst of the Year competition. Year of the Pig. Kamilaris. migrating birds near Montrose.

Andrew Stuart, a student golfer at Jay Rayner, celebrity food critic, was at Elmwood, where Students and animals celebrated the opening of a new Horticulture and Garden Design students Elmwood, took home gold in the Individual the judging for the Scotland Food and Drink Awards was £350,000 animal care unit for creatures – great and Will Ross, Rachel Elliot and Simon Stroke Play event at the Special Olympics held, and popped in to see how some of our hospitality small – at Craibstone. Drozdek harvesting pumpkins from the allotment World Games in Abu Dhabi. students were doing. at SRUC’s Oatridge campus in West Lothian, with the help of their Hallowe’en scarecrow.

8 SRUC Community 9 SRUC Community Farmer

While studying Horticulture at SRUC, Rosie Burgon was adamant that the modules on running your business were not relevant to her as she was never going to start her own. Life’s a Fast forward six years and Rosie is in her third season growing professional-standard cut flowers for the wholesale market in Glasgow, with plans to supply the whole of Scotland in Beechgrove the future. by Rosie Free A key aim of her flower farm eechgrove Garden’s newest addition Kirsty Wilson shares more than business, Scottish Cut Flowers, just a passion for plants with the BBC’s longest-running gardening is to reduce the environmental impact of importing, as well as Bpresenter Jim McColl – both of them are graduates of SRUC. growing blooms and foliage for florists and the public without Kirsty studied Horticulture with After graduation, Kirsty worked for “I have probably one of the best jobs using herbicides, insecticides, Plantsmanship, graduating with a first HRH Prince Charles as a production in the world,” she said. “I work in an fungicides, fertilisers or class honours degree in 2013 – and horticulturist in his garden at internationally renowned botanic preservatives. Rosie’s farm is the prize for best dissertation. Highgrove. garden engaging people with plants based between a Victorian and developing areas for the future. The course is delivered by SRUC in She then undertook an international walled garden and poly partnership with the Royal Botanic traineeship at America’s top public “I am also planning my first botanical tunnel on Tayside with mild Garden Edinburgh (RBGE), with garden, Longwood Gardens expedition to China where I will temperatures, high rainfall and classes and practical work carried out in Pennsylvania, before be collecting wild plant long summer days creating lush, in both places. returning to Scotland to material.” healthy plants. work as a glasshouse “It was the only place in the UK Kirsty’s love of plants Reflecting on her time at SRUC, supervisor at St where you could gain a degree in started from a young and in particular the business Andrews Botanic horticulture with teaching from a age. aspects of her course, Rosie says, Garden. world-renowned botanic garden,” “Luckily some of the information “When I was about 14, says Kirsty. Last year she came stuck with me - I begged my dad for a full-circle, when now I just wished “The course really prepares you for veg patch and used my she was appointed as I had paid going into the world of horticulture – mother’s greenhouse,” she Herbaceous Supervisor at slightly more it teaches you how to grow, maintain ssays. “I have always been an RBGE, where she is responsible attention!” and identify plants and design future outdoors kid – and passionate about for the team looking after various horticultural spaces.” plants and horticulture.” areas in the garden, including the famous 165m-long herbaceous Her advice to current students is to I have recently border, the Queen Mother’s take up every opportunity open to returned from my memorial garden and Chinese them and to travel the world using first botanical Hillside. horticultural bursaries. expedition to China She also the completed a Diploma As for herself, she wants to continue to collect wild in Garden Design from RBGE and being highly professional in her field, plant material. won a gold medal, Best in Show and inspiring people to grow plants, People’s Choice award for her first connect with nature and have a show garden – The Coffee Garden – positive impact on the world. at Gardening Scotland.

10 SRUC Community 11 SRUC Community Change your path From wards to woods, hedge funds to hedgehogs, pharmacology to farm ecology and from Budgets to Budgies, countless students have changed their path, by returning to learning to pursue a career they love and are passionate about.

“Find a job you love and you will never work another day in your life.”

Confucius, the wise Chinese philosopher makes that sound easy but it’s the reality for only a few. Many of us are in a job just to pay the mortgage and bills. In a recent YouGov poll, only 17 percent of people in Britain said they loved their job.

Catherine Devaney Katie Dubarry Moving house from Edinburgh to Fife was the Disillusionment with her career as a beauty therapist led Katie into studying Agriculture at SRUC, beginning of Catherine’s journey from life as a despite having little experience in the area. “I wanted to learn about how we can live more professional lawyer to a whole new adventure sustainably, how we produce the things we do and how we consume things… all of these thought in the world of food. After studying Professional processes combined into an interest in farming and the ways people work the land,” says Katie. After Cookery at Elmwood as a mature student, starting out with the National Certificate in Agriculture, Katie was hooked and has recently completed Catherine has established her own event catering her BSc Honours degree. “My studies have helped me discover new ways of thinking about how we business, writes a regular food column for The can influence what is happening in the world on quite major levels.” Courier and runs a food blog A Kitchen in Fife. “I am very excited about the future. None of this would have been possible without the tuition, Jenny Paterson Peter Arnott support and encouragement of the hospitality team at SRUC.” Being made redundant from an office job Following the untimely death of his caused Jenny to ponder what she wanted mother, Peter began to question his out of any future career. A chance reading of successful, but ultimately unfulfilling, Polly Elliot-Pyle a magazine article led her to Africa to work career in IT project management. This as a conservation volunteer for six weeks, led to the brave decision to return to Having had aspirations of being the next David which in turn ignited a strong desire to formal education at Elmwood studying Attenborough in her younger years, various pursue a career in conservation. In pursuit for the HND in Professional Golf. Peter life events led Insurance Broker Polly to reflect of this, Jenny undertook the Countryside feels that the course provided a firm on what she wanted from her career and Management course at Elmwood, before foundation on which to turn his love of the decision to follow her childhood dream landing a much-coveted place on the game into a new career. “Education by enrolling on the Applied Animal Science and Land Scotland’s apprenticeship scheme. gives you a good grounding and, in course at SRUC’s Edinburgh campus. Despite Following nearly four years in that role, time, relationships and opportunities some of the challenges of being a student Jenny landed her ultimate dream job as emerge.” Peter has since completed again, Polly couldn’t be happier. “I feel like I’ve Conservation Manager for the grounds of BSc and MSc degrees, has established got direction again. The work I am putting in Cameron House and the Carrick golf course his own golf coaching business in is for my future and my career, and there is at Loch Lomond, where she is responsible Edinburgh and contributed to a book nothing more satisfying.” for 400 acres of woodland and wetland. “I about golf coaching, to be published by absolutely love my job and I feel honoured Routledge Books, where he describes to be a guardian of Loch Lomond and The his experience of putting theory into Trossachs National Park.” practice.

12 SRUC Community 13 SRUC Community Dairy innovation Rat tickling investment Did you know that rats emit high pitched vocalisations – akin to laughter – when they are happy? Researchers at SRUC are using this to measure Investment of up to £8 million in a new rats’ ‘enjoyment’ of tickling. The international study has found that rats Dairy and Research Innovation Centre exposed to an odour while being tickled emitted more vocalisations when at Barony has recently been announced subsequently exposed to the same smell without being tickled. “This by the Borderlands partnership. The suggests that the odour is now able to produce a positive emotional state Centre will work with industry and in the rats and has a number of potential applications, including the use of academics to reduce the time it takes positive odour conditioning to ameliorate stress in domestic animals. For for research and technology to be example, if an animal has to go through a stressful procedure, it applied within commercial dairies and could be presented with an odour that it had previously the supply chain. There will be a focus associated with a pleasant context,” explained Alistair on testing new products, technologies Lawrence, Professor of Animal Behaviour and Welfare at SRUC. Photograph: Shimpei Ishiyama, Michael Brecht and production systems, as well as looking at how to deliver carbon neutral farming solutions. Making a Degrees of change Difference SRUC researchers are part of a new ten member independent climate change inquiry panel “Farming for 1.5 SRUC research covers degrees” which will explore how a low-carbon landscape a surprisingly wide range can support a bright future for farming and food. Over the £260k to tackle colombian green growth next few months the panel will hear from a wide range of of subject areas taking place witnesses and bring together evidence and views from many SRUC is involved in two collaborative research projects in Colombia, a country which faces both here in Scotland and with different sources. Its final report will propose agreed targets the dual challenge of climate change and overcoming a 50-year legacy of rural guerrilla partners all over the world. for reducing net greenhouse gas emissions from Scotland’s warfare. The first focusses on developing heat-tolerant bean varieties for future climate agriculture and related land use while continuing to produce change scenarios. The second project is looking at scaling up silvopastural systems for beef high-quality food. farmers, which increase overall productivity and long-term income through the simultaneous production of tree crops, forage and . SRUC researchers are providing economic and behavioural modelling expertise in order to understand farmers’ perceptions of risk and their preferences for different crop traits.

Not so lonely islands The Scottish islands are often regarded as places where population is ageing and in decline, with younger islanders leaving for education and employment opportunities elsewhere. However, recent evidence suggests that, on some islands, the tide may be turning, with young people increasingly choosing to stay, return or relocate to island homes. SRUC’s Dr Jane Atterton, who is working on the Islands Revival project, led by the , said: “Most ‘official’ statistics point to ongoing population decline in many of Scotland’s islands and remote rural areas. However, we need to take account of local evidence which suggests that some places are experiencing population growth, in order to ensure that our policy and practice responses recognise the different trends in different places.” The aim of the work is to bring forward recommendations regarding how policy can best support island repopulation.

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14 SRUC Community 15 SRUC Community CSM Savage was captured and taken It has been Prisoner of War in St Valery en Caux in northern France in 1940 after called a barbed wire The Beekeeper of the 51st Highland Division were university because left behind following the Dunkirk evacuation. There followed a forced all sorts of education march across Europe to Poland, where he and hundreds of other went on NCOs refused to work for Hitler. They ended up being moved to Stalag 383 near Hohenfels in Bavaria, where his PoWs, worried about reprisals from love of bees flourished. the Germans. “The Germans were In 1942 the Captive Drones running scared and they moved Association was started by CSM “My grandfather was taken everyone out of the camp. The Savage – he had first learned out to meet a beekeeper in the prisoners would have been worried beekeeping from his father in Ayrshire neighbouring village of Hohenfels. about their fate.” but was able to get books through the The beekeeper wasn’t impressed to He left the military after the war and Red Cross start with because grandad was a went to West of Scotland Agricultural soldier but when he realised he was His grandson, Trevor Pocknell, who College where he was employed as By Nick Drainey a knowledgeable beekeeper they got lives in Northamptonshire says the a lecturer in beekeeping, eventually on like a house on fire. In fact, the Nazis “could have just shot him” becoming the Head of Beekeeping. German provided the first hive and he long forgotten story of a beekeeping when he refused to work for Hitler. His work there was informed by his bees.” Scottish prisoner of war has been “It ended up being 10s and then experiences in Stalag 383. Trevor says T unearthed by researchers at SRUC. 100s of NCOs who the Germans just The first hive came from the village “He not only learned these things, he Despite refusing couldn’t get to slave for them. They and his grandfather began making developed new ways of separating to “slave” for Hitler completely refused and went through hives from Red Cross crates sent to queen bees and building hives. He and being forced all sorts of ordeals – being chained the camp and when bees swarmed passed that on to his students.” up and thrown into prison but they above the camp CSM Savage caught to endure a bitter Trevor said the wider family only wouldn’t change their minds. They some to put in the subsequent hives. march across became aware of the exploits of CSM ended up being put into Stalag 383 Europe after his “He would have learned from his Savage when he began researching in Bavaria – a prisoner of war camp capture, Company father and he further educated them long after his death. “The for NCOs who refused to work for the Sergeant Major himself because they were able to reason I got into it is because my Germans.” James Hamilton get books through the Red Cross and grandad did a brain dump of the Savage persuaded But they ended up keeping bees the YMCA. The British Beekeeping family tree which my mum wrote on the Nazi guards in in the rather unusual camp. “They Association helped them in every way to a piece of paper. It is that piece Stalag 383 to allow him organised themselves very well – they could including in examinations of paper with grandad’s memories to set up beehives behind the barbed it has been called a barbed wire - my grandfather was teaching the which is what started me. I found the wire fences. university because all sorts of other beekeepers.” odd error in his memory but largely His incredible story came to light after education went on. They talked the Meagre Rations he was correct – very clever man.” librarians discovered a record of the former Germans into providing things in The prisoners, however, only got to Although he died in 1985, his Head of Beekeeping at the West of exchange for cigarettes and items taste a little of the honey with their grandson still has fond memories of Scotland Agricultural College, now from their Red Cross parcels. meagre rations. Most of it stayed with him and says despite the horrors of SRUC. the bees to help them survive winter war which he endured, particularly and the PoWs gave some of their the capture at St Valery and cruel sugar rations to them as well. Rather march across Europe, he was “soft than a source of food, beekeeping spoken and never had an angry was something to keep them word”. occupied, says Trevor, “It was keeping To find out more about SRUC’s them interested in something rather Archives, please email than mulling over their situation. [email protected] They were basically in there for the whole of the war.” When war ended it was recorded that he hid in a coal heap with other

16 SRUC Community 17 SRUC Community Alumni feature in new SRUC podcasts recorded at the Reaching their peak Royal Highland Show

ne of the highlights of the 2019 Royal Highland Show Great Glen Challenge Owas the live recording of a series of podcasts, featuring SRUC alumni. The three episodes take a fresh look at some of the major issues facing modern Scottish agriculture and rural communities.

Women in Agriculture Explore the experience of women today in agriculture and the wider rural sector in this lively podcast debating gender balance and representation, with alumnae June Geyer and Sally Williams. June and Sally were joined by Heather Anderson. On a dreich and windy Friday in August, staff from SAC Consulting - SRUC’s provider of advice for land-based businesses in the rural economy – took part in the 2019 Great Glen Challenge The Climatarian at Fort Augustus in aid of RSABI (Royal Scottish Agricultural Benevolent Climate change is the challenge of our lifetime. With a growing global Bikers Rob Black (Team A) population, what is the optimum diet for the planet? Alumni Laura Young and Will Searle (Team B) Institution). The Challenge is a rather (@LessWasteLaura) and David Nasseri were joined by Pete Ritchie. gruelling four-part course consisting of a 46km mountain bike, 16km run, 6km kayak and 18km hike all in one day.

Kayakers Masters student Colleagues from SAC Consulting offices Joanna Foubister (Team A) across Scotland formed two teams - Team The Rise of the Machines and alumnus Jack Munro (Team B) A(wesome) and Team B(rilliant) – and Find out how Scotland is leading the way in the combination of technology and everyone successfully completed the data to help improve efficiency in farming. Prof Eileen Wall and Dr Holly Ferguson were joined by alumnus Simon Gibson-Poole for this insightful podcast. event. Team A finished a gratifying 6th place on the leader board, while 13th was the lucky number for Team B. Hikers Lorna MacPherson (Team A) and alumnus Hear them here Calum Johnston (Team B) The day was a huge success for RSABI raising over £40,000, highlighting the www.sruc.ac.uk/podcast strength of the rural community when people come together to support each other.

The 2019/20 academic year RSABI provides emotional, Did you marks 50 years of teaching practical and financial at SRUC’s Oatridge campus. support for people across Get in touch to go onto our know? mailing list to hear more about the Scottish agricultural SRUC alumni are eligible for upcoming celebrations and sector. SRUC is proud to be up to 15% discount on SRUC to share your Oatridge stories a corporate supporter of postgraduate courses. with us the charity. at Oatridge [email protected] Runners Seamus Murphy (Team A) www.sruc.ac.uk/pgdiscount Karen Stewart (Team B) 1969 - 2019 Background photograph: Chris Hoskins

18 SRUC Community 19 SRUC Community Students Ross Dowens and Lucy Soeder feature in new videos focusing on Countryside Management and Environmental Resource Management, which have also been produced as part of the new suite of digital content.

o two days at SRUC are the same. Certainly not and Communications. “Our brilliant new digital content for Rosie Free, SRUC Press Officer, who within goes further to showcase other rewarding and diverse Haven’t Nweeks of joining the college, found herself in careers in the rural sector. front of a filming crew. “This is a hugely exciting time for SRUC as we move “I was playing the part of a hillwalker who has their towards becoming a unique, 21st-century rural thermos snatched away by a young woman who wants enterprise university. These eye-catching new videos you heard? to challenge stereotypes and get people thinking work to take our alumni with us on this journey, while differently about rural careers,” says Rosie. also telling potential students what we do, and how Drones in flight, golfers in full swing, and horses leaping they too can be part of the rural revolution.” over jumps are among the stunning visuals featured in We don’t the new SRUC videos. WIN DOUBLE PASSES TO With the tagline ‘The Revolution is Rural’, the short THE ROYAL HIGHLAND SHOW! film highlights SRUC’s diverse range of courses at its SRUC is excited Join our social media revolution by sharing your photos campuses around the country, with subjects such as of rural life from the traditional to the unexpected—to follow the garden design, hospitality and animal care featuring for the future of rural be in with the chance of winning one of two double alongside traditional subjects such as agriculture and passes to the 2020 Royal Highland Show. land-based engineering. The film is part of a series Scotland and beyond Runners up will receive SRUC Alumni of new videos which you will find on SRUC’s YouTube reusable coffee cups. Use the hashtag herd! channel page. #TheRevolutionIsRural on Instagram and Twitter, “SRUC is immensely proud of its agricultural heritage,” so that we can see your entry, or post it directly says Caroline Bysh, SRUC’s Director of Marketing, Digital to us on our SRUCAlumni Facebook page.

20 SRUC Community 21 SRUC Community Change your Building an SRUC Alumni path bursaries entrepreneur network A number of mature students were offered a helping hand SRUC is excited to be establishing a new SRUC Alumni Entrepreneur Network, this year to return to study with a £1,000 bursary from SRUC. inspired by Bill Dingwall, former SRUC Agriculture Programme Leader, and The bursary, aimed at those seeking a re-training opportunity alumnus Steven Mitchell. or career change, was designed to offer financial support to Steven founded The Buffalo Farm in Fife in 2005. It has gone from strength to help with the additional costs of fitting study into an already strength. His latest project is to become the first Scottish producer of buffalo busy life. mozzarella. In order to fund his new milk parlour and mozzarella factory, Steven “A significant proportion of SRUC’s students are mature ran a successful crowdfunding campaign with various levels of ‘Founders Club’ students, and many of these are returning to study in the membership. hope of making a career or lifestyle change,” says Marketing This in turn led Bill to propose the SRUC Alumni Entrepreneur Network. “In my and Student Recruitment Manager Hannah D’Mellow. “We retirement I want to do something of significance for the SRUC Alumni Community know that returning to study as a mature student presents a and combine this with supporting Steven’s buffalo mozzarella crowdfunding number of challenges, with finance being one of them. We campaign,” says Bill. have been able to award £20,000 of our new Change Your ur students are Bill is part of Steven’s Executive Founders Club and will donate his Club rewards, which include catering services and Path bursary in the first year of its launch – to help some produce, to the SRUC Alumni Community in order to hold an annual Alumni Entrepreneur Network prize-winners event. part of the future students manage the transition.” The SRUC alumni entrepreneurs will be up for awards in categories such as: Best Overall Business; Best Innovation and of Scotland’s rural See page 12 for Change Your Path stories. O Best Business Start-up, at an annual event held at Steven’s Boglily farm. Students will also benefit from a Dragon’s Den- economy – from setting up style business pitching competition, allowing them to meet and discuss their ideas with the alumni entrepreneurs. thriving businesses in remote “The aim of the Alumni Entrepreneur Network is to encourage the sharing of experiences among members, and Scottish communities, to engagement with SRUC staff and students,” Bill adds. tackling issues such as the Alumni and students who are part of the food and farming industries will be invited to take part in the new entrepreneur network in 2020. In the meantime, if you are a food or farming entrepreneur and are interested in receiving information impact of climate change and about the new network, get in touch with the alumni team at [email protected] how best to feed a growing GOLD for Student global population. well being project At SRUC we are continually SRUC is continually looking at ways to enhance and Students lead the way exploring how best to support improve the student experience. It was therefore A new student ambassador programme was gratifying that a student well being project that provides our students to achieve launched across SRUC campuses in October online round-the-clock guidance won the gold award in 2019. In its first year 11 ambassadors have been their maximum potential. a recent national competition. recruited and it is envisaged that the numbers will By actively developing a The online support package to encourage student grow in subsequent years. The ambassadors will stronger alumni and friends wellbeing was named most inspirational project of meet with prospective students at Open Days as community we have even the year by the National Association for Managers of well as helping at major events such as the Royal Student Services (NAMSS) – a non-profit organisation Highland Show and Gardening Scotland. more exciting opportunities providing support and professional development for “Student ambassadors are really important for those working with learners in education and training. to advance our students from SRUC,” explains Anouska Curzon, Marketing the classroom through to their “This was our first attempt working in partnership with and Student Recruitment Officer. “They help us the Virtual Learning Environment Team to create an reach out to people on social media and engage careers. on-line learning resource that students can access at any with the public. In return, the time to educate, maintain and improve their well-being ambassadors build their networks during challenging times throughout the academic year,” and get paid work experience says Alison Boyle, Learner Engagement Manager. while they’re at college. It’s a win- win situation.”

22 SRUC Community 23 SRUC Community Why? Because many of the key challenges facing today’s world - climate change, sustainability, food security – can be solved through research and education in the rural sector, while also strengthening Scotland’s future. It’s what we do.